Transmission mechanism



March 28, 19391 R. s. SANFORD TRANSMISSION MECHANISM Filed Sept. 27,1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Fey 5. Sanford BY /7 I .0,

ATTORNEYS March 28, 1939.

R. s'. SANFORD TRANSMISS;ON MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed Sept. 27,1955 INVENTOR. F951 ,5. Sanford BY ATTORNEYZS.

Patented Mar. 28, 1939 I a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRANSMISSIONMECHANISM Roy S; Sanford, New York, N. Y., assignor to Bendix ProductsCorporation, South Bend, Ind., a corporation of Indiana ApplicationSeptember 27, 1935, Serial No. 42,420

2 Claims. (01. 192--.01)

' My invention relates to vehicle control mechanism in such a mannerthat the brakes may be nism and has particular reference to the provi--applied to any desired degree whenever the accelsionof power mechanismto facilitate manipuerator pedal is released. Where maximum brake lationof certain of the conventional control units pplicat on is des ed a m yOperated brake customarily o er ted by hand, control valve is pushed tothe limit of its move- 5 An object of the invention is to utilize powert, at which point it will remain until the acavailable from the motorfor the purpose of actueelerater p d l s again depressed to Shut Off theating certain control members of an automobile vacuum lines from thesource. vehicle and to co-ordinate the power application Fig. 1 is aside elevation, partly in section an to each of these controls in suchmanner that somewhat dia 0 e p ve Co t o 10 operation of one willautomatically cause operaystem, 1

tion of the others involved in the system in proper Fig. 2 is a planview of a portion thereof,

timed relation. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the free Morespecifically, the invention relates to an Wheeling control V automotivevehicle provided with brakes oi any Fig. 4 is a vertical sectionillustrating the man- 15 conventional type, an internal combustionengine ual control for said valve, operable to drive the vehicle throughthe custom- Fig. 5 is a longitudi a Section ou the ary clutch mechanism,and a free Wheeling unit p a y C c Control Valve, positioned rearwardlyof the transmission in the 6 is a Section through thecarburetor-butcustomary manner. terfly valve and actuating mechanismtherefor, 20 One object of the invention is to utilize vacuum 7 is a VerSection t o t b a e power from the intake manifold for the purpose t olvalve ss y, and of maintaining the free wheeling unit in free Fig.8 isan elevation, partly in s through wheeling position when desired, oneend of the clutch booster cylinder.

Another object relates to automatic operation efe ring now to Fi 1 whichs o h t dia- 25 or the clutch for ear hiftin purposes through grammatic,particularly insofar as the conventhe vacuum available from the intakemanifold tional units of the automotive vehicle are conof the engine andincludes mechanism arranged cerned, the numeral It indicates an internalcomto automatically throw the free wheeling unit ust n engine p ov d d wh a n ke mani ld from locked out position into free wheeling posito Whch s Se u ed n c v o al manner a 30 tion when the drive shaft isde-clutched for gear carburettor e co vent o al clutch housshiftpurposes. ing is indicated at I 6 at the rear of which is The advantagederived from unloading both secured transmission assembly I8 and a free.ends of a transmission during the gear shifting Wheeling t 0 i po itined rearwardly of the operation is apparent. Such procedure eliminatesSaid tra o as y- 35 all need for constant mesh gears in the transmis-The fly Valve 22 0f the carburettor is sion assembly and insures gearshifting without fixedly se d to S t 24 a d n t e Ou e any clashwhatsoever. A valve mechanism is so e y 0f the Said Shaft are mountedthe arms arranged that the engine is de-clutched auto- 26 and 28. Arm 26is secured to the shaft 24 by matically upon lifting the acceleratorpedal and means f p 30 While the m 8 i free to r te 40 subsequentlyclutched 'upon depression thereof, o t sa d shaft- The accelerator pedal32 is at which time the free wheeling unit is locked connected throughrod, 34 with arm 28 throu h a out if the car is being operated at thetime in that a 10st motion connection formed by the P 36 in particularmanner. the end of said arm 28 and the slot 38 at the An importantfeature of the invention resides extremity of red ThiS 10st motionconnection 45 in the manner in which the same power source i permitsmovement of the clutch control valve rendered available for maintainingthe said free without actuating the butterfly valve during ini- Wheelingunit in operative position or for autotial depression of acceleratorpedal 32. matically throwing the free wheeling unit into The handthrottle is connected by rod 40- to free wheeling position from lockedout position the arm 26 through a similar lost motion conduring thedeclutching operation when the veneetien utilizing a P 42 in e e t y ofSaid hicle is being operated without free wheeling. arm 26. This pinprojects in frontof arm 28 so Another feature of the invention residesin the that movement of the said arm to open the butassociation of avacuum brake applying mechaterfiy valve willnecessarily move the arm 26nism with the other vacuum controlled. mechawhich is fixed to the shaft24 to actuate the 545 valve 22. Thus the accelerator movement will notforce movement of the hand throttle.

A vacuum conduit 44 extends from the intake manifold I2 to the clutchcontrol valve 46, a branch conduit 48 being connected through a one-waycheck valve 50 with an auxiliary vacuum tank supply 52. The clutchcontrol valve 46 will be described more in detail hereinafter and isconnected by conduit 54 to a conduit 56 which extends between a vacuumoperating motor 58 and one port provided in the free wheeling controlvalve 60.. Another conduit 62 provides communication b'etween anotherport in the free wheeling control valve 60 and the vacuum tank 52. Abrake control valve 64 is placed in fluid transmitting connection withthe conduit 56 by means of a conduit 12.

Brake control valve 64, the detailed structure of which will bedescribed more fully hereinafter, comprises a single cylinder 68 whichcommunicates with conduit 56 through conduit 12 and with the brakevacuum booster cylinder 14 through conduit 16.

The brakes may be operated through the conventional brake pedal 18 whichis pivoted as at 80 and provided with an arm 82 integral therewith towhich the rod 84 leading to the brake system is secured. Piston 86 ofthe brake vacuum booster I4 is likewise secured to the arm 82.

The free wheeling control valve 60 maybe manually set in either freewheeling or lock out position through a manually operable lever 88 and avacuum conduit 90 extends from the control valve 60 to the vacuumoperated cylinder 92, the piston 94 of which is connected to the arm 86which is operable to throw the free wheeling unit 20 into or out ofoperative position.

Referring now more particularly to the clutch control valve 46, the mainvalve chamber 98 communicates directly with the vacuum conduit 44through a port I00 and also through an auxiliary tortuous port I02. Aslidable valve I04 is positioned in the main valve chamber, which valveis of the spool type, including the valve heads I06 and I08 at oppositeextremities thereof. The

'valve is mechanically actuated by the valve stem IIO which extends outthrough the valve casing, the said casing being vented to the atmosphereas at II2. A port 4 provides communication between the valve chamber 98and the conduit 54.

The open end of the valve casing is closed by a threaded Closure memberII3 through which the valve stem IIO extends. This closure mem her isprovided with atransverse bore H6 in which are positioned balls II8which are adapted to seat against the valve stem and. which are urgedyieldingly thereagainst by means of springs I20 which are seated againstthe threaded members I22. The pressure exerted against the valve stem bythe balls may be adjusted as desired through the threaded members I22.Valve stem H0 is provided with notches I24 into which balls II8 areadapted to seat for the purpose of creating a temporary stop againstsliding movementv of valve I04 for reasons to be hereinafter broughtout. The exposed extremity of the valve stem I I0 is provided with ahead I26 against which the depending portion I28 of bracket I30 isadapted to abut when the accelerator pedal is in its fully releasedposition. Bracket I30 is secured to accelerator rod 34.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 5, the accelerator 82 and its associatedparts have been illusescapee trated in partly depressed position and thevalve I04 is retained in the position illustrated in Figure 5 throughthe vacuum existing on the left side of the valve head I08. In thisposition it will be apparent that the conduit 54 is closed to vacuum andthe clutch motor 58 will remain in inoperative position as illustratedin Figure 1, the engine being clutched with the drive shaft.

When the accelerator pedal 32 is released the bracket I30 will abut thehead I26 to withdraw the valve I04 to the extreme right hand limit ofits movement at which point the port II4 will be open into the vacuumline 44. The vacuum will then be transmitted through the conduit 54 tothe vacuum motor 58 whereupon the booster will operate to de-clutch theengine. Under these circumstances the vacuum will also operate throughthe other end of conduit 56 which opens into the free wheeling lock outcontrol valve 60.

In Figure 3 this control valve has been shown the piston 94 of the saidfree wheeling motor would operate against spring I38 to pull themechanical throw out lever 96 into free wheeling position as indicatedin the drawings. It is therefore apparent that when the acceleratorpedal 32 is released, assuming the free wheeling control to be set inlocked out position, the vacuum from the intake manifold will operate tosimultaneously de-clutch the engine from the transmission and throw thefree wheeling unit 20 into free wheeling position. In this way bothendsof the transmission I8 are relieved of any load whatsoever and gearshifting may be accomplished without clash of any kind regardless of thespeed of the vehicle.

Where the free wheeling control valve 60 is set as indicated in thedrawings for continuous free wheeling, operation, a constant vacuum ismaintained in conduit 62 and through the conduit to retain the piston 94of the free wheeling motor cylinder 92 in free wheeling position againstthe spring I38.

The operation on release of the accelerator being clear, it will beapparent that when the accelerator is again depressed the operationsheretofore explained having taken place the valve I04 of the clutchcontrol valve 46 will move to its extreme leftwardly position when thevacuum created on the left thereof is sufiicient to pull the valve I04out of engagement with the check balls I I8 thus closing the vacuum fromthe clutch motor 58 and the free wheeling booster 92. The spring tensionagainst the check balls may be adjusted as desired through threadedmembers I22 so that they will release after any predetermined vacuum isbuilt up in the lines. Thus a predetermined vacuum must be built up inthe various cylinders before the valve I04 can shut ofi port H4. Thisinsures complete disengaging an axial bore I56 which communicates with aI transverse bore I54 opening into an annular groove as indicated. Inits normal inoperative position the groove and transverse bore I54 areadapted to register with an air vent I52 in the wall of the valvecasing.

- Upon depression of the stem I48 by the operator the air vent I52 willat first be closed to communication with the axial bore I56 and theupper head of the spool will subsequently open the line I2 tocommunication with line 16 which extends to the brake motor cylinder 86.After vent I52 has been so closed, continued depression of stem I48 willagain open it to communication with the intermediate space I49 betweenthe heads of spool valve I42. When the vacuum created in the upperportion of the casing 88 is suflicient to overcome the strength ofspring I44 the spool valve I42 will move upwardly to again close offcommunication between vacuum line 12 and 16 without however venting thecylinder 86 to the air via the vent I 52. The valve is then in what isknown as a lapped position. It will therefore be apparent that thedegree of brake application secured through the motor cylinder 86 isdirectly dependent upon the extent to which the stem I48 is depressed,such depression governing the compression under which the spring I44must be placed before beginning venting the brake motor cylinder to airthrough the vent I52,

The manually operable mechanism for actuating the free wheeling controlvalve 60 has been illustrated in Fig. 4 and includes an arm I12 securedto a shaft I14, which shaft is rotatably journalled in the dash panelI16. The manually operable lever 88 is secured to the other extremity ofshaft I14 and a clutch member I88 is splined to the shaft I14 by meansof a pin and slot connection; The clutch member I88 is normally theother end of the cylinder. The adjustable valve 6| may be manipulatedthrough the threaded valve stem 63 to control the exhaust of air onreleased movement of the clutch booster piston.

While certain preferred structural features have been illustrated inconjunction with the automatic power control mechanism describedherewith it will be apparent that the scope of the invention extendsbeyond the illustrated embodiments and for that reason I wish to belimited only by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an automotive vehicle provided with an accelerator, wheel brakesand a clutch, power means for operating said brakes and clutchcomprising a pressure difierential operated motor operably connectedwith the clutch, a separate pressure differential operated motoroperably connected with the brakes, and valve mechanism for controllingthe operation of said motors including a valve for controlling thebrakeoperating motor and an accelerator operated valve operable, upon releaseof the accelerator, to efie'ct an energization of the clutch operatingmotor to disengage the clutch and to make possible an energization ofthe brake operating motor with an operation of its aforementionedcontrol valve.

2. In an automotive vehicle provided with two separate sources of power,an accelerator, a clutch and a free-wheeling unit, the clutch andfree-wheeling unit being positioned ahead of and to the rear of thetransmission of the vehicle respectively and comprising in combinationtherewith power means for operating the clutch and free-wheeling unitincluding a pressure differential operated motor operably connected tothe clutch, a pressure differential operated motoroperably connected tothe free-wheeling unit, a.

fluid transmitting connection extending from one a free-wheeling unitoperating motor, said valve being operable either to interconnect saidlatter motor with said first-mentioned connection or to interconnectsaid motor with one of said aforementioned power sources, and anaccelerator operated valve incorporated in said firstmentionedconnection operable, upon release of the accelerator, to energize theaforementioned clutch operating motor and to energize the freewheelingoperating motor when the selector valve is in one of its controlledpositions.

ROY S. SANFORD.

